2025 Love and Unity in May Recap
Photo Credit: Elizaveta Son
This year’s “Love & Unity in May: Concert and Resource Fair” was an dynamic and uplifting celebration of the diverse cultures and ethnicities that make up our Flushing community and the AAPINH diaspora. Through pan-Asia-inspired music and performances, Glow Culture Center’s “Love & Unity in May” concert drew over 120 attendees to enjoy a stunning display of talent, creativity, and emotion.
Our 3 hr. event also featured an outdoor resource fair where event attendees and passer-bys in our community had the chance to engage with partners ranging from the NYC Commission on Human Rights to New York-Presbyterian Queens, Garden of Hope, NYPD Community Affairs Bureau, DMS Appliance, NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Asian American Foundation, Queens Borough President’s Office, NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, Queens District Attorney’s Office, and Korean American Family Service Center. These organizations offered free safety equipment and shared information on medical, education, legal, immigration, and other community services. We were heartened to see the general public meaningfully engage them, and as the Flushing community continues to grow, Glow Culture Center strives to foster opportunities for community engagement, collaboration, and support like minded organizations.
The concert portion of the event commenced with a captivating vocal solo “Autumn Waters, Endless Sky” (秋水长天) by Qi Dai, the conductor of the New York Chinese Chorus. Opening guest remarks were delivered by New York State Senator John Liu, City Council Member Sandra Ung, Deputy Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office (Community Affairs Unit), Peter Koo, and the Executive Director of the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC), Vijah Ramjattan. Two keynote speakers – Kajori Chaudhuri, Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and Anchi Lin, Founder & President of Celadon Youth, Advisor of the Boston Chinese Musician Association, and Board Member of Horizon Ensemble, also addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of cultural unity and community support.
This year’s concert showcased a dynamic array of traditional Asian instruments such as the erhu, yangqin, suona, xiao, flute, guzheng, and pili, with iconic music from Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, India, and many provinces of China. The diverse and talented lineup included noteworthy musicians Xiao-Ran, Eric Liu, William Yuan, Wei Sun, Hina Zhang, Julian Gau, Jeff Fairbanks, and Jivan Ramesh from the Celadon Youth & Celadon Stars Orchestra. Our stage was brought to life also by Neela Dance Academy’s charming Classical Indian Kuchipudi Dance, New York Chinese Chorus’ folk songs, and an invigorating Chinese Yo-Yo performance by Linda Quach. The performance left a positive impression on the audience, captivating them with joyous energy and cultural pride, with an average satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from those surveyed.
Glow Cultural Center would like to thank all of our partners for their invaluable support in making this event possible. Around 63% of event participants were of Asian ethnicity, and 43% came from districts outside of Flushing. We believe that through accessible cultural events like this, we can create and nurture a community space for artists, partners, and New Yorkers to connect, thrive, and shape a brighter future for all of us. Like Executive Director Vijah (OPHC) said, “It’s always the right time to bring community together.” Happy AAPI Heritage Month!
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This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.
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